Malawi is a country of big ideas and low standards

I love Malawi and its capital, Lilongwe, is a beautiful plain laced with rivers, flora and fauna. The same can be said of many parts of this country that nearly 17.5 million Malawians call home.

A bus depot in Malawi

But the unique thing about Lilongwe, the gateway to the Warm Heart of Africa, is the bus depot at the heart of the city. In the hive of activity, money changes hands, the residents and travellers exchange warm greetings and buses roar and hoot. The place is noisy and filthy, with wanton wastage disposal.

The tendency of throwing litter anyhow is not only endemic in the capital but across the country.

The chaos at Lilongwe Bus Depot reflects the mentality of many Malawians.

The dirt and ugliness on the banks of Lilongwe River is a sickening reminder of how we have messed this beautiful land.

When founding President Hastings Kamuzu Banda moved the capital from Zomba, he envisaged the new set of government adding beauty to the centrally located beautiful plain. He wanted to create the next Johannesburg with an airport city at Lumbadzi, an industrial city at Kanengo and commercial business districts at Old Town and City Centre.

Banda had standards and vision.

Despite resistance from our former colonial masters, he went ahead to implement his vision and he sold it to Malawians, African leaders and long-time development partners.

Lilongwe grew with the help of the apartheid-led South African government. A tarmac road was constructed from Blantyre to Lilongwe; new statutory corporations were born; commercial estates were established; the economy was taking shape and technologies were getting the government’s attention.

The automobile sector had potential and plans were put in place to roll out Malawi’s first ever automobile in the 1980s.

In building Lilongwe, Malawians had set up a city of their own-for Blantyre and Zomba cities were built by Europeans.

Banda wanted to show that we are capable of building our own legacy. He personifies will and strength of character when it comes to implementation of a goal.

Banda was ruthless. His entire Cabinet, civil service, the private sector and the citizenry knew in no uncertain terms that quality was not negotiable.

Even our agriculture sector was well-organised, a boost to our economy.

We also witnessed the growth of many companies, including Pew, Mandala Motors, United Transport of Malawi, David Whitehead and Sons and Lever Brothers (now Unilever South East Africa).

We were proud to be Malawian. Banda’s sharpness and charisma made him Malawi’s great son.

Over 40 years have passed since the capital shifted from Zomba, but Lilongwe has not fully transformed to what Banda envisioned.

The citizenry has not fully embraced the need to take care for our treasures. Instead, we vandalise, ravage, pollute and erode the value of nearly everything good and precious in our midst.

As the city is losing its gleam and glow, the nation is slowly losing its light and shine.

While our neighbours are leaving no stone unturned in pursuit of national development and quality service delivery, we are busy with self-enrichment and aggrandisement through abuse of public resources and laws.

The influx of kaunjika, second hand clothes and vehicles, in the multiparty Malawi is one of symbolic importance to this erosion of standards.

Since then we have seen erosion in all sectors of life and the poison has infested even the little good that we held as a nation.

We have become a little careless about who we are as a nation. As beautiful as our nation is, and as good as our ideas of the perceived future are, tragedy looms.

We pursue our narrow interests without an iota of patriotism and pride. We have plundered our land and ransacked the public purse without mercy. We have destroyed vegetation, polluted the environment and mismanaged our economy.

Just like Lilongwe Bus Depot, our nation is confused. Is there any hope left.

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Nyopex
Nyopex
7 years ago

Dziko lili mmanja mwa agalu ili. Akungo ……………………………….. paliponse. Kubaso kuli paliponse lero. Nanji mbomamu ndiye nyanye, nanga sizaanthu wamba sadziwa chikuchitika. Olemera ndiokhaokha ali mbava zazikulu mdziko losaukali. Sorry inu nonse olimbikila kugwira ntchito.

Adamson Snr.
7 years ago

We are one…ONE MALAWI ONE NATION!!!

Njonjolinjo
Njonjolinjo
7 years ago

This is an article written by a true Patriot of Malawi. A non-political observation, a true reflection of who we are. We are not even able to appreciate and take care of the little new insfrastructre which we have recently acquired- the Bingu Stadium. The Stadium was vandalised during the first game hosted, this shows how uncivilised we Malawians are. Indeed we have lost standards at all levels from the Leadership, Pvt Sector and to ordinary citizens. Look at the quality of roads that are being opened by the President, they are “first-coat” in Johannesburg even with no middle lane,… Read more »

Mary
Mary
7 years ago

Big Ideas, Extremely Low Standards in everything, Uneducated Primitive Population and a country full of hate and
Nasty Thieves everywhere including in the Churches!..

A FAILED DANGEROUS STATE

zuzo dekha
zuzo dekha
7 years ago

zovetsa cisoni bola atsamunda azabereso.timasowa kokodza etc . depot ngati ku scrap yard. ka round about ka pa Lilongwe bridge
ngati posewelela phada, ma robot ngati angokoleka mu ntengo. mumayamikila mukayenda mmaiko aazanu kwnu kuno kwangoti phwii
nthawi zose ci que ngati tikupita ku mecca.ukafuna kuyenda tsidya to tsidya mutu zwee. ati kuika a traffic . u think this shud be
our daily lives????????.pa SHOPRITE cant u do something to ease the traffic. koma

zuzo dekha
zuzo dekha
7 years ago

koma nde anatenga zao atsamunda. bola akanaberaso ndithu. taonani kapitolo city ti ma roundabout kaye ijayo ya townhall iiiikkkiiiiiiiiiiiii z

MNDAMBALA BOY
MNDAMBALA BOY
7 years ago

Very true

Proud Malawian
Proud Malawian
7 years ago

Well said. This speaks to the very core of every one of us. Malawi is our country and the responsibility begins with each and everyone of us. Lets work for a Better Malawi which is possible. Lets avoid spending time and energy on trivial matters like spewing nonsense on each other because of where one originate s from. We can have a Better Malawi if we all pull together. The journey Bingu took us on in his first five years can transform Malawi if our leaders and of course each citizen can put the interest of the nation at the… Read more »

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